I’ll only comment on the 15U SHAHA AAA team, as my son was asked about being interested. The ice is there, and was described as 2 weekday practices, 1 weekday skills session, off ice in the YMCA gym, and weekly video sessions. 2-3 non parent coaches as well. As for whether that will count as a “true” AAA program is up to the judgers here on the board.
Not sure about Esmark at 05 because I don’t believe they have a team??

That seems like an outrageous thing to say...
05 Preds would have lost to them last year based upon what I’ve heard, and apparently the Preds lost their 2 best players to PPE Gold. Is that true?
And - per a parent from that team - also lost the coach who knew what he was doing?
Or is that bad info I’m getting? You may know more than I do...

I obviously can’t name names on this board of “who” the player from Lebo was. He’s a defenseman who played on that team last year.
Why would where the Arctic Fox player be playing next year matter? The evaluators wouldn’t know that. It’s almost like you’re saying he didn’t earn it himself?

This is not accurate. I know specifically that 1 Arctic Fox Forward and 1 Mt Lebo Defenseman made that camp.
I can’t speak to any of the others. I also can’t speak to how many AA players from other areas made it.

That makes sense in theory, but hard to believe players who are invited to MidAms would not have locked up their spot on their desired team by this point in time. Even if that meant the player were missing one of the Tryout sessions that an organization had scheduled.

My son and I had 2 separate discussions with the coach of the Black team last year after the offer was made, prior to my son making his decision. My son specifically asked the coach what he saw in him at tryouts, what he liked in his game, what he thought kept the offer from being Gold, and how the coach would work with him on his game.
I thought the commentary would be cursory, generalized, and bland. I was wrong. The coach had very specific feedback on all those areas. It was a pointed, accurate, and fair assessment of what my son does well and does not. I left the conversation impressed with his honesty and acumen.
I read all the time on this board about kids not making Gold due to politics or other non hockey factors. Maybe that’s true, maybe it’s not. All I know is that our experience was fair, balanced, and direct. We appreciated it.

One of the best things that happened for my son was trying out for the Pens 2 years ago and not even making the 4th day. Lit a real fire under his tail.
Last year he was offered Black and turned it down. He wants to make Gold and he has improved dramatically in the last 2 years.
Not making the team he wanted with on-point constructive criticism (which we feel like we received) will drive the right kid to work hard. Did for my son. Hope it does for yours too...

I’m hearing a weird rumor at various Tryout Tuneups that the Pens Elite is eliminating the Black Team? That they are looking to take 35-40 kids and have a floating roster? Kids moving up and down based upon how they’re playing? Heard there was a parent meeting with existing PPE parents discussing how this would work for 2019-20 season?
Anyone have insight on this, or is this just wild hockey parent talk?

That team is really, really good. No question about that whatsoever.
That doesn’t change the fact that the Mt Lebanon organization had parents from their teams running the clock in a situation that they shouldn’t have. And they did so for both playoff divisions at their rink that weekend.
The organization put themselves in a position to be criticized. It’s their fault. Plain and simple.

At 15-32-12, maybe you were playing them TOO much?
Hard to imagine the path to consistent success at the top AAA level is playing the same 6 or so Forwards every other shift for 45 minutes. Results seem to bear that out, if what others say is true about how the play time was spread.

There is little consistency game to game, which makes the FPP system problematic. One referee told a player on my sons team - when being asked RESPECTFULLY to understand an interference call made against him - “Do you know how hard you hit him?”
Not about the puck, how long it was gone (if at all), etc.
How hard the hit was...
There are many good referees in the games my son has played in. But when you have different referees with different standards that presents problems.